Minnesota Reports 30-Plus TM7 Fungal Cases, Forming Largest Known US Cluster

Q: Are everyday items like shared towels and razors secretly fueling the spread of a severe, hard-to-treat new skin fungus?

Yes. Shared towels, bedding, clothing, razors and possibly sex toys can help spread TM7, though health officials say the main driver is still close skin-to-skin contact, including intimate and sexual contact. TM7 is a newly recognized form of ringworm, not a parasite, and doctors say it can cause more painful, inflamed and persistent rashes than typical fungal infections. The CDC and public health guidance specifically warn that contaminated personal items may carry the fungus from one person to another, especially when they touch affected skin on the groin, genitals, buttocks, face or other hair-bearing areas. That said, the exact share of cases caused by objects versus direct contact is not fully known. Experts are not describing towels and razors as a hidden primary source, but they are credible secondary routes that can keep transmission going within households or among partners if items are shared. The practical advice is straightforward: do not share towels, bedding, clothing, razors or sex toys; wash hands after touching a rash; launder clothes and bedding on high heat when possible; and avoid close contact if a rash is present. Covering lesions can also reduce spread when contact cannot be avoided. Because TM7 can resemble eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, herpes, syphilis or other rashes, early medical evaluation matters. Many cases need oral antifungal treatment for weeks, often terbinafine, and short or incorrect treatment can allow the infection to persist or recur.

2 articles · Updated · kuna noticias y kuna radio · Aug 24

More than 30 confirmed or suspected TM7 cases have been identified in the Twin Cities area, the largest U.S. cluster reported so far.
TM7 is a ringworm-causing fungus spread through close skin-to-skin contact, including intimate and sexual contact, and recent U.S. cases have been reported mainly among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Doctors say the infection can cause painful, itchy, scaly rashes that may not resemble typical ringworm, increasing the risk of confusion with eczema or psoriasis.
Unlike many common fungal skin infections, TM7 can trigger more severe, persistent inflammation and often requires weeks of oral treatment such as terbinafine, making early diagnosis important to limit further spread.